Therapeutic device



Patented Aug. 16, 1949 THERAPEUTIC DEVICE Howard W. McCready, New York, N. Y., assignor to Edwin H. Tompkins, New York, N. Y.

Application November 7, 1945, Serial No. 627,166

-8- Claims.

This invention relates to therapeutic devices. and. more particularly to the manner of mounting the active part of the devices within a casing or housing. It is in the nature of an improvement upon the device disclosed in my prior copending application Ser. No. 574,767 filed January 26', 1945, now Patent No. 2,465,250.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for therapeutic devices by which the elements or parts may be assembled without the use of special tools and by simple operations; with which the assembly of parts may be accomplished by relatively unskilled workers; with which the operating parts will be effectively concealed; with which, the presence of unsightly gaps and openings will be reduced to a minimum; with which the active body contact part of the therapeutic device may be, easily and quickly detached from the other mechanism for cleaning and sterilizing, and replaced without the use of special tools; and. which willbe relatively simple, compact, practical and inexpensive.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting for the operating mechanism of a therapeutic device, with which the parts maybe easily and quickly assembled without tools and the part contacting thehuman body. easily and quickly detached and replaced to facilitate'cleaning' Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following descriptionof one-embodiment of the invention, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in connection with the appended claims.

' In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1' is a longitudinal, sectional elevation through a device constructed in accordance with this'invention; r

Fig. '2 is a plan of one end of the movable member; v

Fig. 3 is a transverse, sectional elevation of the device, the section-being taken approximately along the line 33 of Fig; 1:

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 5 is abottom plan of one end of the motor plate forming part of the movable member;

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a portion of a resilient mounting for the moving parts and forming a part of the device;

Fig. 7 is an end view of the casingalone;

Fig. 8 is a perspective of'a grommet through which the circuit wires may pass into the chamber of that casing; and

Fig. 9 is a plan of that end portion of the easing shown in Fig. 7.

.In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the improved device includes a casing 1 having a chamber 2 therein w-i-tihen open face 3 leading to the chamber. The side walls of one section of chamber 2 are provided with grooves 4 opening into the chamber and extending along side walls thereof in directions generally parallel to the open face and adjacent to, but spaced slightly from, the open face for substantially the entire periphery of the chamber 2. Disposed in each groove 4 is a strip 5 ofsoft, resilient material, such as soft, resilient rubber, which fills the groove and projects somewhat into the chamber from the side wall. The strip has a channel 6. running lengthwise thereof and opening into the chamber 2, along the side edge face thereof facm chamber 2, and also has a flange I extending from the free edge of the outer side wall of the channel 6 along the side wall 8 of the chamber between the groove and the open face 3. In trans-. verse cross section this strip 5 preferably repre sents in outline, somewhat the outline of a block numeral 6, having a Width at the loop greater than at itstop, and with the flange 1 extending upwardly from the free, upper-edge of the 6.

The wall 8 of the chamber 2 between the groove 4 and the open face 3 is preferably made outwardly divergent or bevelled, and the flange 1 of the strip 5 has a'similar normal angle, so that when the strip 5 i in the groove 4, the flange I will lie along and abut the outwardly divergent or oblique wall 8. One end of the casing I may have a notch 9 therein leading from the open face 3, and the strip 5 preferably terminates at this notch 9 although it may extend across it, if desired. The outer side wall of the channel 6 in strip 5 is preferably narrower than the inner wall of that channel.

The marginal edges of a multipart partition member II] are received in the channel 6 along the walls of the chamber 2. The distance across chamber 2 between opposite edges of member [0 is greater than the similar distance across chamsides is preferably greater than the corresponding distance across the member H! .as received therein, and therefore in order to keep the member ll! approximately centered, it is provided with a rabbet groove H on its inner face along its edges, so that when the member is confined in the channel 6, the shoulder formed by the rabbet will, by engagement with the strip 5 inwardly from the channel .6, locate the member I0 with its side edges spaced from the bottom walls of the channels 6, and with this member I-. 0 ever-y.

3 where spaced from the side walls of the chamber 2.

The resiliency of the strip 5 allows limited movements of the member ID in all directions, so that the member It may be considered as floatingly mounted for movements in all directions both parallel to its faces and normal thereto. The member If! is preferably formed of two sections or plates l2 and I3 abutting face to face and detachably coupled in any suitable manner such as by ordinary snap fasteners 14, disposed one adjacent each end of the member ID, one section of each fastener being carried by the member l2 and the other cooperating fastener section by the plate l3. The thickness of the plate I3 preferably is such that its outer face is either approximately flush with the open face 3 of the casing or extends outwardly somewhat beyond it, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3. The plate I3 is provided at one end with a lug 15 which extends loosely into the notch 9 of the casing where it is spaced well from the sides of the notch as shown in Fig. 4, so that when the plate l3 moves sidewise to the extent permitted by the resiliency of strip 5, the lug l5 will not contact with the sides of the notch 9.

A small, simple electric motor 16 of any suitable type, provided with a base I1, is secured by that base to the inner face of a plate l2 in any suitable manner, such as by screws [8, Fig. 1. Since the plate [2 is mounted in the channel 6 of strip 5, the motor is floatingly mounted in the chamber 2 for limited movement in all directions, opposed only by the resiliency of the strip 5. The rotor or armature of the motor It has an axial unbalance motor illustrated, a U-shaped iron core [9 carries a winding or coil 20 by which a magnetic field is set up between the ends of the arms or poles of the U, and an iron armature 2! is rotatably mounted in the magnetic field between the poles of this U-shaped magnet.

A suitable make and break mechanism 22 is operated by the rotor or armature in timed relation to the rotation of the armature, so that the winding 29 will be repeatedly energized and deenergized in a manner to attract the armature 2| into positions straight across the gap in the U-shaped magnet. At approximately this time the circuit of the winding is opened by the make and break mechanism, and inertia carries the armature 2| beyond the straight across position and into an angular position where the make and break again causes an energization of the coil 20 and further attraction of the armature. This type of motor is called a make and break type of motor and is extensively used in electric shavers. In this example, a weight 23 is provided on one side only of the armature 2!, as shown in Fig. 3, and this provides the axial unbalance. The armature 2! is wider in one direction than in the other, so that when the weight 23 is added to one of the narrower sides of the armature, it need not extend beyond the arcuate surface, if extended, of the polar ends of the armature 2|.

As the armature rotates, this unbalance will create a centrifugal force tending to drag the armature in a circular or gyratory path about the axis of rotation of the armature, and inasmuch as the armature is mounted in rigid bearings in the frame ll of the motor, this centrifugal force will tend to drag the motor bodily in this gyratory path. Since the motor is attached to the member II], it will also tend to drag the member In with it in its, gyratory path, and a limited gyratory and bodily movement of the motor is permitted by the floating resilient mounting of the member II! in the strip 5, so that the motor and member ill may gyrate repeatedly, independently and separately from the casing I.

Current for the motor [6 is supplied through twin wires 24 which pass through the notch 9 beneath the strip 5, and preferably through a grommet 25, see Fig. 8, of suitable, electrically insulating material such as resilient rubber. This grommet has a passage 26 thercthrough for the wires 24, and also has, on opposite edges, grooves 21, each of which embraces a side edge of the notch 9, as shown in Fig, 4, so that the grommet will be held against displacement from the notch 9 and will prevent contact of the wires 24 with the side Walls of the notch 9. The grommet is disposed beneath the member If] as shown in Fig. 1, so that it will be held against movement out of the notch 9 by the overlying engagement therewith of the member Ill.

\ The outer face of the plate l3 may be applied directly to the body so that the gyrations of the plate 13 may be transmitted as impulses to the surface of the body against which it is applied, but preferably this outer face of the plate 13 carries resilient means 28 for engagement with the body. In the example illustrated, this resilient means is in the nature of bristles arranged in groups like the bristles of an ordinary hairbrush, and in fact the plate [3 with the bristles is a hairbrush. The gyratory impulses from the motor are transmitted through the bristles 28 to the scalp or portion of the body against which they are pressed. The motor is preferably mounted with the axis of rotation of its armature 2! approximately parallel to the faces of the plates l2 and I3.

The strip 5 has been referred to, by way of example, as being formed of rubber, and by the term rubber, I intend to include not only the natural rubbers, but also all rubber substitutes and so-called synthetic rubbers and similar materials having soft, flexible, resilient properties.

It will be noted that the motor, and the sections I2 and I3 of the member [0 are floatingly mounted in the casing I so that while the motor is operating, one may grasp the casing I either firmly or lightly and either press section I3 against, or move it in the manner of a brush over, the hair, scalp, skin or any other part of the body without interfering in any way with the gyratory movements of the motor due to the axially unbalanced armature. When the section l3 carries bristles resembling the bristles of a hairbrush, and they are pressed against the skin or scalp, those bristles will transmit gyratory impulses to the scalp or skin and produce thereon a pleasant stimulation which medical reports indicate causes a relaxation of the nerves in the portion of the body treated, as well as an im provement in the circulation of blood or lymph in the areas treated.

It is commonly believed, for example, that falling hair is due to poor circulation of the blood or lymph in the scalp, believed to be more prevalent in men because of the custom of men of wearing tightly fitting hats. The improved circulation in the scalp areas induced by treatment with this improved device, produces a more healthful condition of the hair and scalp and creates a healthful condition in the root sack or follicle of the hair, and consequently reduces the loss of hair. Where the root sacks or follicles from which the hair grows are not entirely dead, a treatment of this type has been found to stimulate activity of such root sacks or follicles, and cause them to send forth new hair.

Such a treatment also appears to stimulate a healthful condition of the oil glands in the scalp, thereby reducing dryness in the hair and thus reducing dandrufi, The impulses transmitted to the scalp or hair in this manner are not interferred with by any pressure exerted by the hand in holding the casing I, and therefore the full effect of the gyratory impulses will be available to the bristles. If desired, rubber pins or other resilient means may be provided on the section I3 in place of the bristles, for application directly to the skin in any local area of the body for relaxing the nerves and improving the circulation through the blood vessels in that area.

A continuous resilient or cushion area may replace the bristles, but it will be observed that when the section I3 is secured to the section I! by snap fasteners, the section l3 may easily be detached or removed for sterilizing or cleaning, by prying upwardly on the lug l5, and replaced merely by snapping it back upon the section l2. When the section I 3 is detached, the section 82 closes the chamber 2 so asto protect the motor from injury and from moisture. Since the section I3 is fully spaced from the side wall surface 8,-its gyrations will notbe damped or hindered by direct contact with the casing l. The parts may be assembled or disassembled easily with few tools and ordinary labor, which is an important manufacturing advantage.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention, as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a therapeutic device, a casing having a chamber therein and an open face leading to said chamber, said casing having a groove with two approximately parallel side walls extending substantially around said chamber in a peripheral direction and disposed a short distance inwardly from said open face, the wall portion of said chamber, outwardly from said groove being outwardly divergent, a soft, resilient strip received in and fitting said groove, having an extension along said divergent wall portion between the open face and said groove, and an open channel facing said chamber and with generally parallel side walls, a partition member extending across said chamber with its edges mounted in said channel and means attached to the inner face of said member, within said chamber and spaced entirely from the walls thereof, for imparting to said member, repeated local movements of small extent, whereby the member may be free to move in all directions with said means independently of said casing, and the member may be assembled an'd floatingly held in said casing without the use of tools.

2. In a therapeutic device, a casing having a chamber therein and an open face leading to said chamber, said casing having a groove with two approximately parallel side walls extending substantially around said chamber in a peripheral direction and disposed a short distance inwardly from said open face, the wall portion of said chamber, outwardly from said groove being outwardly divergent, a strip of soft, molded resilient rubber fitting and extending along said groove and having a shape in cross section somewhat resembling an outline of the block numeral 6 with a flange extending upwardly, and obliquely to the left of the number, from the free end of the hook at the top of the numeral, and the channel formed between the top of the 6 and the loop forming a channel opening into said chamber, the height of the 6 corresponding to the width of the groove and the flange extending along and abutting said divergent wall portion, a partition member extending across said chamber with its edges mounted in said channel, the partition member having a size between its edges less than the corresponding distance between the opposite inner edges of said divergent wall portions by an amount that is less than twice the thickness of said rubber flange, whereby said strip may be first placed in said groove and the partition member forced into said channel through compression of said flange by the edges of said member, and means attached to the inner face of said member, Within said chamber and spaced entirely from the Walls thereof, for imparting to said member, repeated local movements of small extent, whereby the member may be free to move in all directions with said means independently of said casing, and the member may be assembled and floatingly held in said casing without the use of tools.

1 8. In a therapeutic device, a casing having a chamber therein and an open face leading to said chamber, said. casing having a groove with two approximately parallel side Walls extending sub-'- stantially aroundsaidzchamber in a peripheral direction and disposed a short distance inwardly from said open face, the wall portion of said chamber, outwardly from said groove being outwardly divergent, a strip of soft, molded resilient rubber fittin'g'and extending along said groove and having a shape in cross section somewhat resembling an outline of the block numeral 5 with a flange extending upwardly and obliquely to the left of the number, from the free end of the hook at the top of the numeral, and the channel formed between the top of the 5 and loop forming a channel opening into said chamber, the height of the 6 corresponding to the width of the groove and the flange extending along and abutting said divergent wall portion, a partition member extending across said chamber with its edges mounted in said channel, the partition member having a size between its edges less than the corresponding distance between the opposite inner edges of said divergent wall portions by an amount that is less than twice the thickness of said rubber flange, whereby said strip may be first placed in said groove and the partition-member forced into said channel through compression of said flange by the of said member, and means attached to the inner face of said member, within said chamber and spaced entirely from the walls thereof, for imparting to said member, repeated local movements of small extent, whereby the member may be free tomove in all directions with said means independently of said casing, and the member may be assembled and floatingly held in said casing without the use of tools, the width of the 6 at its top being less than at the loop, and said member having a marginal shoulder on its lower face abutting the loop part of the 6 to keep the member centrally located in said chamber.

4. In a therapeutic device, a casing having a chamber therein and anopen face leading to said chamber, said casing having a groove with two approximately parallel side walls extending approximately around said chamber in a peripheral direction and spaced inwardly from said open face a short distance but adjacent to said face, a strip of soft, resilient rubber fitting and extending along said groove and having a channel therein with generally parallel side walls and opening into said chamber, a partition member extending across said chamber with its edges mounted in said channel, and motor operated means attached to the inner face of said member within said chamber and spaced entirely from the walls thereof for imparting to said member repeated local movements of small extent independently of said casing, said casing having a notch in a wall thereof extending inwardly from said open face somewhat beyond said groove and providing an aperture for the passage of circuit wires to said motor.

5. In a therapeutic device, a casing having a chamber therein and an open face leading to said chamber, said casing having a groove with two approximately parallel side walls extending approximately around said chamber in a peripheral direction and spaced inwardly from said open face a short distance but adjacent to said face, a strip of soft, resilient rubber fitting and extending along said groove and'having a channel therein with generally parallel side walls and opening into said chamber, a partition member extending across said chamber with its edges mounted in said channel, and motor operated means attached to the inner face of said member within said chamber and spaced entirely from the walls thereof for imparting to said member repeated local movements of small extent independently of said casing, said member being formed of two plate-like sections abutting face to face and separably connected, with the outer section spaced at its edges from the wall of said casing outwardly of said groove and having its outer face disposed outwardly at least to approximately the open face of said casing.

6. In a therapeutic device, a casing having a chamber therein, an open face leading to said chamber, and a groove with two approximately parallel side walls extending along opposed sides of said chamber and opening into said chamber, said grooves being disposed adjacent to, but spaced from said open face, and extending generally parallel thereto, a strip of soft, resilient rubber disposed in each groove and having therealong a channel with generally parallel side walls generally parallel to said open face and opening into said chamber from the marginal side face exposed in said chamber, said strip extending from the wall in which it is mounted into said chamber, and having the outer side wall of said channel narrower than the inner channel side wall, a partition member extending across the chamber with its edges mounted in the channels of said strips, whereby the partition member may have its edges snapped into and out of the channels on opposed wallswhile the strip along each wall is in its position in its groove, the peripheries of said member being spaced from the chamber wall, and means disposed within said chamber and mounted solely on the inner face of said member in spaced relation to the walls of the chamber for imparting to said member repeated local movements of small extent.

'7. In a therapeutic device, a casing having a chamber therein and an open face leading to said chamber, said casing having a groove with approximately parallel side walls in opposed side walls of the chamber extending generally parallel to said open face and disposed inwardly from said open face, a strip of soft, resilient rubber fitting and extending along each groove and having a channel with generally parallel side walls extending therealong and'opening into said chamber, the outer side wall of the channel being narrower than the inner side wall of the channel, and'said strip projecting into the chamber from the wall having the groove, a partition member extending across said chamber with its edges mounted in said channel, and means attached to the inner face of said member, within said chamber and spaced entirely from the walls thereof, for imparting to said member repeated local movements of small extent, whereby the member will be free to move in all directions with said means independently of said casing and may be assembled and fioatingly held in said casing by compression of the outer side wall of the channel of said strip by the passing edges of the member, without the use of tools.

8. In a therapeutic device, a casing having therein a chamber with an open face leading thereto and grooves with approximately parallel side walls in and extending along opposed permanently connected chamber walls and parallel 'to said open face but spaced inwardly therefrom, a soft resilient strip in each groove and having a channel with generally parallel side walls opening into said chamber and towards the opposite-side of the chamber, a partition memher having its edges mounted in said channels and extending across said chamber, and spaced around its entire periphery from the walls of said chamber, and means attached to the inner face ofsaid member, within said chamber and spaced entirely away from the chamber walls, for imparting to said member, repeated, rapid, local movements of small extent.

HOWARD W. MCCREADY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,193,978 Miller Mar. 19, 1940 2,287,501 Thomas June 28, 1942 2,345,438 Tompkins Mar. 28, 1944 

